During my high school years, my mom’s coworker gave birth to an angelic blue-eyed boy. Shortly after swaddling him in a blanket and announcing his name, the doctors realized something alarming: he basically lacked an immune system. Similar to the movie “The Boy in the Plastic Bubble,” they transported him to a specialized sterile room in an elite hospital in San Francisco while debating over surgical procedures.
His parents moved into a Ronald McDonald House a block away from the medical center, and my mom commuted into the city after work a few days each week to visit them. She rode the elevator up to the baby’s hospital room, chatting with the couple and relieving them of their watchful duty to run errands, shower, and nap. Gradually, once she vigorously scrubbed her hands with soap and donned teal scrubs, they invited her into the boy’s sterile environment too.
After her hour-long trip to and from San Francisco, Mom lost all energy and motivation to cook dinner. She stopped by a few gourmet eateries around the hospital before driving home instead, presenting us with peasant pies to split. (We usually fought over the curried one!) And on particularly horrendous bumper-to-bumper traffic days, Mom bought a brownie from the bakery next door too.
With the texture of fudge, the oversized treat disappeared within seconds after she pulled it from the white paper bag. We attempted to cut the first one she ever purchased into quarters in order to share a bit with Dad after he arrived home from work… But that plan crumbled to pieces after we each nibbled off a bite. Mom always ordered 2 after that incident, but we were barely satisfied with just half of a rich brownie!
However, a boatload of butter contributed to that decadent indulgence, and the treats left large grease stains on the sides of the paper bags. Before the fat took its toll on our bellies (and exercise routines), we tried weaning ourselves off of them one day at a time. Years later, we still fantasize about those heavenly chocolaty squares, so I finally resolved to bake a healthier version.
After a few tries, I successfully created The Ultimate Healthy Fudgy Cocoa Brownies! Packed with intense dark chocolate flavor, the luscious squares practically melt on your tongue, leaving behind sweet luxurious memories—but not a single ounce of guilt. Each regular-sized brownie only contains 99 calories, but these skinny treats don’t taste healthy at all!
These brownies come together faster than a box mix. Just whisk the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another; then stir them together and pour the batter into the pan. So simple! And unlike the prepared packages sold at the grocery store, this recipe contains NO preservatives or artificial ingredients.
Cocoa powder contributes all off the chocolate flavor. It’s true—you don’t actually need melted chocolate to make a rich, decadent brownie! Although I always swoon over my ooey gooey brownie recipe, I rarely enjoy scrubbing the extra dirty bowl from melting chocolate. (I’d much rather lick it clean instead!)
I opted for whole wheat flour in the final rendition of these low-fat brownies. For 100% whole wheat baked goods, I almost exclusively choose Gold Medal; other brands turn my treats dense and dry. Its flavor is difficult to detect, and it adds a little extra healthy fiber. But you could easily substitute all-purpose flour instead if you prefer!
Just like the easy box mixes, I used oil instead of melted butter. Again, it reduces the number of dirty dishes (or pots) to wash—always a benefit in my kitchen! You only need 2 tablespoons of oil; skim milk and Greek yogurt contribute the rest of the moisture while keeping these brownies low in fat and calories. (Bonus: the Greek yogurt bumps up the protein content too!)
These brownies bake at a mere 300°F. This fairly low temperature prevents the edges from crisping and ensures the entire pan stays fudgy. Incredibly fudgy. Leave it in the oven for only 24-28 minutes. Although the center may look wet, it continues to cook as it cools in the warm pan. If you pull out the brownies after too much longer, they’ll dry out and crumble.
Look at those fudgy beauties! They just exude dark chocolaty decadence and smooth luxurious flavor. It can be our little secret that they’re The Ultimate Healthy Fudgy Cocoa Brownies and secretly skinny. Nobody would believe you after they sampled one of these moist, indulgent squares!
Can you blame me for devouring 3 the second I finished the photo shoot?
These rich, luxurious brownies don’t taste skinny at all! They’re packed with decadent dark chocolate flavor and just as moist as a full-fat version. These brownies will stay fudgy for up to a week if stored in an airtight container.
- Preheat the oven to 300°F, and lightly coat an 8”-square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar. Mix in the milk and yogurt. Add in the cocoa mixture, stirring just until incorporated.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan, and bake at 300°F for 24-28 minutes (24 minutes for fudgier brownies, 28 for less fudgy brownies). Remove the pan from the oven and place on a wire rack. Cool completely to room temperature in the pan before slicing into squares.
P.S. After a bone marrow transplant, the doctors allowed the sweet little boy to head home and recover. I baby-sat him for a few summers as he grew, and he currently lives a normal, active, Thomas-the-Tank-Engine-obsessed life. Thank goodness for modern medicine and miracles! ♥
These were great. I used organic cacoa powder and sweetened the brownies with a mix of coconut sugar and truvia spoonable and cut the sugar down (I think I only used a 1/4 cup sugar!) because I was making them for a diabetic. I might increase the sugar next time for myself but they were lovely with tea and coffee, ended up tasting like dark chocolate.
I’m so glad you enjoyed these brownies Naz! So kind of you to tweak the recipe for your diabetic friend — I hope that person liked them as well! 🙂
Hello Amy, I currently do not have any plain greek yogurt. Can I use unsweetened applesauce instead? Thanks
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Jeff! If you have regular yogurt, that will be the best substitute. I think applesauce should also work, but the texture may be slightly different. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of these brownies if you try them!
Could these be made with almond flour? I have gestational diabetes so I’m looking for ways to cut carbs. I may reduce the sugar to a half cup, and use brown sugar instead.
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Anna! Yes, you can substitute almond flour in this particular recipe. If you use ½ cup of brown sugar, then add an additional 2-3 tablespoons of milk to compensate for the missing ¼ cup of sugar. Without the extra milk, your brownie batter will be much too dry! 😉 I can’t wait to hear what you think of these brownies!
I made these, but with brown sugar, and almonds as topping. The texture was so fudgy. Felt better making it for my kids with whole wheat, and no butter. Thank you for a great recipe!
I’m so glad you and your kids loved these brownies, Libby! That means a lot to me! 🙂
Hi, i would like to make your brownies, and many other of your recipes, but a lot of the use yogurt, but i can not use it, waht can i substitute it for?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipes Mitha! It really depends on the recipe. For my brownie recipes, the best substitute would be a non-dairy yogurt (ie soy- or almond-based yogurt, such as Silk). I’d love to hear what you think if you try these brownies! 🙂
I do not see the pan size.
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Cindy! The pan size is included in Step 1 of the Instructions. I know it can be easy to miss! 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think if you try making these brownies!
Hi Amy
Can I substitute white whole wheat flour? Also can I reduce the sugar to 1/2 cup?
Hi Amy
If I reduce the sugar to 1/2 cup, then can I substitute light brown or dark brown sugar?
Finally a PERFECT brownie recipe! These turned out amazing! Thank you so much. All other recipes require melted chocolate and I think the fact that this one has cocoa instead made the WORLD of difference! Hubby loved them and he’s super fussy 😉
Oh my goodness! Those are the BEST compliments ever, for you to call these perfect and your hubby loved them too. Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know, Stef! You just made my entire weekend!! 🙂